


Ending the Cycle

by StevetheIcecube



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alien Zelda, Alternate Universe - Alien Invasion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Minor Character Death, Mute Link, Nonbinary Sheik, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-03 07:56:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10962972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StevetheIcecube/pseuds/StevetheIcecube
Summary: Sheik is thrust into a destiny they never wanted and pays a price they never wanted to pay. Despite this, they must fight on as the guide for the young Zelda and Link. Zelda is an alien, part of the very people they have hated since the invasion, but only by guiding her can they prevent future loss of life. Link is a young boy, deeply marked by the events of the invasion that took everything he knew from under his feet.Together, they must end the violent cycle that traps Zelda's people in an endless search for power and death. The problem? They have no idea how.





	Ending the Cycle

“We’ve found a planet.” The words pierced her heart. Of course they’d found another planet. Of course. And what would they do with that planet? The same as the last one. “Don’t make us force you to use it this time, Tetra.”

Tetra looked over her shoulder and saw Zelda. She had to do this for her daughter. She couldn’t risk them hurting her baby. “There are children on that planet?” She asked. She knew there would be. There always were.

“And, as always, they cannot be spared,” he said. “There is nothing we can do and no point in saving them. They always rebel. And those who rebel cannot be allowed to survive.”

“Do it differently this time,” she said. “I will sanction it. I will allow you to do anything, but make it a slower invasion. Make it so we can spare the children somehow.”

He waited, considering her offer. She felt like she had betrayed her own morals, but she couldn’t let it happen like it had before. Maybe, this way, she could save lives. “We will find a way if we can. We will arrive in five weeks. If we have found nothing by then, we will have to resort to our usual methods.”

“I-” She looked at Zelda again, sitting so patiently waiting for her mother to come back. She imagined what they would do to her if she refused the compromise, and she nodded. “I will sanction it if you can find a way to spare the children. Of that, you have my word.”

-

The Pod had appeared in the sky a few days ago. It was getting bigger and no one knew what it was, but Link knew. He knew what was there. He knew what was coming, but no one heard him when he told them. They thought he was making up stories.

He knew where he was going to go soon, so he refused to go to school. “Link, we have to carry on as normal,” Dad said. “You can’t say you can’t go to school. You told me yourself that the world wasn’t going to end.”

“I said that you’re going to die,” Link protested, and his dad’s face folded into a frown again. He didn’t like it when he said that. “I don’t want to go to school today when you’re going to die soon.” He’d seen the date in his dream last night and he didn’t want to tell his dad that he was going to die tomorrow.

“I’m not going to die, Link,” he said gently. “You need to go to school.”

“But they’re going to lock us all in the school and make us sleepy while they kill you!” He protested. Why couldn’t his father see what was going to happen? Why didn’t he believe him?

“Hey, Link, Link, don’t cry.” His dad bent down to meet his eyes. “It’s going to be okay, okay? If there’s somewhere you think is a better idea, you don’t have to go to school today.”

“Mum,” he said, and that was when Dad started crying too. “Can we go and see Mum? I’ll...I’ll go to school tomorrow. I promise.” He hadn’t seen her in weeks and he thought that maybe he wouldn’t be able to see her again.

“We can go see Mum,” he said. He sounded so sad and Link almost regretted asking. “And then we can go and get ice cream and eat it in the park. How does that sound?”

Link just smiled and hugged him. He would miss his dad.

-

“It’s coming, Sheik.” They’d never heard their aunt’s voice so serious, not for a very long time. “They have come sooner than I thought they would and I don’t think I will survive them.”

“What?” Fear leaped in their heart when they heard her words. She couldn’t leave them alone; she’d promised she never would after their parents disappeared. She’d promised that she’d stay as long as she could, right by their side. “You can’t die.”

“I must,” she said with a sigh. “There is nothing I can do to stop them. But maybe you can do something about it, at some point. I have trained you for this eventuality as much as I could with our limited time.”

“This is about the orb in the sky?” They asked. “It’s probably just some meteor. You’re not going to die any more than I am.” They could only hope that. They’d known for a while that Impa was training them for something else, something greater than a simple post as a guardian of the graveyard, but they didn’t think it would come so soon.

“Beings from beyond come from that orb in the sky,” Impa said. “And inside that orb rests the key to death across everything the goddesses ever created. As you grow, Sheik, it will be your task to make sure that key never kills.”

“How do you know that?” They asked. No one knew anything about the orb. It had been worrying everyone for hours. There was so much hysteria surrounding it. It could be seen everywhere around the world and apparently his aunt hadn’t thought to share this information until now.

“It has been in prophecy across the ages. My grandmother told me that I would see it come, but I never thought it would be now. I did, however, know it would be you.”

“I don’t want you to leave,” they said. Knowing they wouldn’t have her around much longer was hard; knowing they had a destiny, a real destiny, was harder. They didn’t know if they could deal with that without her.

“Come here, you sap,” she said, holding out her arms for them. They hugged her gratefully. She always knew how to make them feel a little better. “Now don’t cry, and I’ll tell you more about what you need to do.

“They’re here to kill us all, but something stops them, or someone. Someone with mercy. If anyone approaches you, one of them, and they say they are the reason you are still alive, you must trust them. They have the key to ending any future killings, and all will become clear to you at that time.

“There will also be children you have to guide. One of them is one of us, one of them is part of them, but they are equally important. Always remember that. Teach them the ways of our tribe, and let them teach you about themselves in return. You are their guide, and your journey will be difficult, but you must stay strong.” She squeezed them tighter. “You are so important, my child. Never lose sight of hope, and remember that even when we are gone, we are watching over you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Because what's a better idea than starting another fanfic? The first segment (of three) is already all planned out and I have a vague idea where the whole narrative is going.
> 
> Please leave a comment if you're interested/enjoyed/hated it! Especially when you're in for the long haul, feedback really helps to motivate me.


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